Gardening for Amateurs 



Whatever is the aim, let the design be 

 such that it includes one or two retired 

 nooks, an arbour if possible, or at least a 

 few places for retirement and rest. If 

 different styles are embodied in the work let 

 them blend gradually one with the other. 



When to Clip Box Edgings. Most 

 amateurs clip Box edgings early in the 

 spring ; this causes an early growth, which 

 is just in the condition to be nipped by a 

 sharp late May frost. The safeguard is to 

 defer the cutting until the end of April, which 



Let dwarf bedding designs, for example, be just enables it to tide over the critical period. 



made near the tall house and high shrubs 

 stand well back towards the boundary, so 

 as not to give too harsh a contrast. As the 

 garden is to be used, too, let all parts be 

 convenient and easily accessible. 



The average amateur has a garden of very 

 limited area, and it is only by careful study 

 and planning that he can give apparent 

 extent to the limited space. Intricacy 

 within limits heightens this effect ; an ex- 



The new growth is not then formed until 

 early summer. Then comes a free, unchecked, 

 healthy growth, which renders Box-lined 

 garden paths cheerful and pleasant to the 

 eye through times of heat and drought. 

 But clipping must not be too long deferred, 

 or evil will show in another form the young 

 growths will come away so tardily when hot, 

 dry weather suddenly arises after clipping, 

 that the appearance of the Box is not good 



sometimes fails to recover before autumn. 



pansive lawn is a perennial pleasure, and, for a couple of months or more ; indeed, it 

 as explained, concealment of the actual 

 boundary walls gives the effect of 

 spaciousness not actually in existence. 

 This is heightened by turfing up close 

 to the stems of shrubs, by evergreen 

 bushes hiding what is really the end 

 of any space, and by gentle curves 

 which add length to the walk and 

 expansiveness to the borders. A few 

 large bushes or beds of a single colour 

 heighten the effect. Avoid glaring arti- 

 ficiality in the form of gaudy garden 

 furniture. Symmetry is so far desirable 

 that beds may be duplicated in places. 

 Nothing shocks the natural artistic sense 

 of beauty more than the custom of 

 placing small plants in front and 

 large ones behind to obtain tiers 

 of vegetation ; such an arrangement 

 is justified in certain cases, as, 

 for instance, in a hot-house, but 

 it should have no place in the 

 outdoor garden. Rather ensure that 

 every plant is seen without allowing 

 signs of artificial selection to become 

 apparent. The house is the hub of 

 the garden, the centre of vision, and 

 the best views should be obtained 

 from it. Shrubberies and plants should 

 be arranged so as to preserve open vistas ; 

 these have the effect of increasing the 

 apparent depth of the garden, and 

 give spaciousness, whereas close plant- 

 ing would have exactly the opposite 

 result. 



Shrub groups on the curves of a winding 

 walk conceal that which lies beyond and 

 give increased interest to the garden. 



